


Video Games

by gabe_and_greasers



Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-12-30 04:05:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18307847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabe_and_greasers/pseuds/gabe_and_greasers
Summary: Emotions are complicated- especially for two teenage boys in the sixties.





	1. Chapter 1

Young love- so trivial, is it not? Even more trivial for two teenage boys living in the sixties. Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston- an unlikely love story. 

 

Love story. Johnny often scoffed at the word love, finding it to be something he could never have. Dallas, on the other hand, embraced the word, finding it to be a game, a tool, a promise that couldn’t -shouldn’t- be kept.

 

Hell, whenever the topic came up among a discussion with their friends, both boys danced around the question, avoiding an answer until an answer could no longer be avoided.

 

“What do you think, Dally? D’you think true love is really a thing?” Soda asked the older boy.

 

Dally looked away, averting his eyes from his friends. Did he think true love was really a thing? He’d always thought of it as a cheap trick to get girls to do whatever he wanted.

 

“No.” He said finally. “Sounds just like a stupid joke or somethin’.”

 

Johnny tried to mask his disappointment. Was it disappointment? Why would he be disappointed? It wasn’t like he cared what Dally did. Well, he did- they were best friends. 

 

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to clear all the thoughts in his head. ‘ _Quit overthinking, Cade_.’

 

“Hey! Earth to Johnny.” Steve poked him in the side and he squirmed, wrinkling his nose. Dally looked away, ignoring whatever thought had popped into his head.

 

“Hey, I told you to quit that!” Johnny said indignantly, moving away from Steve and closer to Ponyboy. “What’d you say, anyway?”

 

“Same thing we said to Dally.” He replied.

 

“It’s four in the afternoon, it’s too early for philis- philoso-”

 

“Philosophical?” Pony offered, and Johnny nodded.

 

“Yeah, whatever he said. That word discussions. Save it for two in the morning.” He said.

 

Steve rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

 

Johnny sighed in relief, glad that he didn’t have to answer the question. In reality, he didn’t want the guys to tease him for his answer. He did believe in true love, as dumb as it sounded. But Dally didn’t, and he wanted to impress Dally. He told himself it was because he looked up to the older boy, but whenever the thought came to mind, there was a sinking feeling in his chest that told him it was for a very different reason.


	2. Chapter 2

“So, you broke up with Sylvia again, huh, Dal?” Johnny asked, looking over at the blond, a feeling of hope forming in his chest.

 

“Yeah.” Dally replied gruffly, exhaling cigarette smoke and briefly glancing at Johnny. “Why? You tryin’ to go after her or somethin’, huh?”

 

“No!” He defended, crossing his arms. “No way. I don’t like her. Not like that, at least.”

 

Dally laughed, messing up Johnny’s hair. “I’m just messin’ with you, Johnnycake. I know you don’t like her.”

 

Johnny flushed slightly, but looked away in an attempt to hide it. He always felt different when Dally called him nicknames like that. Only when Dally did it. He didn’t know how to explain it, or why it happened- it was almost like he was melting.

 

“What are you gonna do now?” He asked. “Gonna find another chick or no?”

 

He didn’t know why he found himself dreading whatever Dally’s answer may be.

 

“I dunno.” Dally shrugged. “Why, you interested or somethin’?”

 

“Gross! No!” Johnny spat immediately, pushing Dallas away. He immediately regretted his reaction, but didn’t apologize.

 

Dally stayed where Johnny had pushed him to, feeling a little upset at the reaction. Not like he liked Johnny or anything. He was just offended because… well, he couldn’t think of a real reason, but he was offended. “I was just joking, Johnny. Honest, I was.”

 

“Yeah.” Johnny said grimly, chewing hard on the inside of his cheek- a habit he’d developed when he was confused or nervous. “Sorry.”

 

He didn’t know whether he really meant his apology or not. He looked at Dally again, who looked a little upset. Johnny pretended not to notice and lit a cigarette. He would say he had to leave, but both boys knew that was a lie.

 

Besides, where would he go? Home? No. The Curtis’? No, no one would be around. He figured he could have gone to the bowling alley to play pinball, or to the movie house or somewhere else, but he was short on money and didn’t really feel like going alone, anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one was so short lmao


	3. Chapter 3

Spring break. A whole week free of stress. Or at least, Johnny had hoped so. He had been on his way to look for the football he and the gang, looking to practice somewhat before they played again.

 

He hadn’t been thinking much of the car that pulled up to the curb while he was searching in the tall grass nearest to the sidewalk.

 

“So,” a voice called, and he stupidly turned to face whoever the person was. “Whatcha doin’, grease?”

 

‘ _Don’t answer that_ ,’ Johnny told himself inwardly. 

 

“Uh… looking for a ball.”

 

‘ _Goddammit_.’

 

“Uh-huh.” One of them mused. “You know Dallas Winston?”

 

Johnny didn’t answer, instead just staring at them blankly. That seemed to be enough answer for them.

 

Five guys had stepped out of the car, and were walking towards him before he realized what was happening. He tried to run, but one of them grabbed him by the back of his jacket. “Shit,” he cussed, and one of them punched him.

 

He tried to scream, tried to get loose, but they were taller and stronger than him. His jean jacket had been thrown off and discarded, and they were dragging him towards the middle of the lot.

 

“Let me go!” Johnny yelled, his throat beginning to go hoarse. 

 

“Nobody’s coming for you, dumbass.” One of them snapped, the one wearing rings.

 

The time that followed after that was a blur. He only remembered one thing they said to him. “This is what you get for being friends with Winston, grease!” 

 

Everything other than that was a blur.

 

After what felt like an eternity, he heard voices. He tried to move, but only hurt himself worse. He groaned, praying someone would notice and help.

 

“Johnny? Glory, what happened to you?” Soda asked, kneeling down next to him.

 

“I got jumped.” He replied miserably, forcing himself to open his eyes. “I…”

 

“No, don’t talk no more,” Soda warned, but Johnny didn’t listen.

 

“I was looking for the football so I could practice before we played again.” He said. “And then these Soc’s pulled up next to me and they just… jumped me, I guess.”


	4. Chapter 4

Dally had never felt so… so sad? Angry? No, those words didn’t feel right. Maybe if he had an actually had an extensive vocabulary, he would realize that the word he was searching for was malcontent. 

 

He couldn’t bring himself to be around Johnny the next few days. He’d caught word from Tim Shepard that it was his fault Johnny had been jumped. He wanted to break down and cry every time he looked at the younger boy.

 

After lots and lots of thinking, Dally realized that his feelings towards him were more than a strong friendship. But he couldn’t quite force himself to come to the conclusion that his feelings were romantic.

 

Could that have been why it hurt so bad when Johnny pushed him away that night a few weeks ago?

 

“Dally!” Johnny yelled over the sound of blaring music. 

 

“Jesus, kid, what are you doing here?” Dally shouted back. He was at Buck’s, trying to get drunk and forget all his problems. Johnny never went around there.

 

“Wanted to talk to you, I guess!” 

 

Dally noticed the beer in Johnny’s hand, and the way his words seemed to be slurring. “Fuck.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let’s go.”

 

“Where we goin’, Dal?” Johnny giggled, dropping the beer as Dally grabbed his hand. “The party’s down here.”

 

“No. You don’t get to party.” He scolded, leading Johnny upstairs to the room he rented from Buck. “You’re drunk. You’re- glory, you’re barely even sixteen and you’re drunk.”

 

“I ain’t drunk.” Johnny pouted, despite the fact that he half collapsed on the bed immediately. “I only had…”

 

He tried counting on his fingers, squinting at his hands as he put a finger up. “One… two… four… three…”

 

Dally sighed again, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly. “This is all my fault. If I had just talked to you like- like a normal fucking person, then this wouldn’t have happened. It’s all my fault you were jumped.”

 

“Who told you?” Johnny slurred, looking up at Dally with glazed and confused eyes.

 

“Don’t ask who told me. You should hate me. But instead you came looking for me- which was stupid, by the way-” he ranted, pacing around anxiously.

 

“Dally. Dallas.” Johnny said calmly, standing up and nearly falling over as he stumbled toward the older boy. “I gotta tell you somethin’ important, okay?”

 

He sucked in a deep breath as Johnny took both his hands. “Okay. Alright. Tell me.”

 

“I… am in love with you, Dallas.” 

 

It was difficult to describe the atmosphere at that moment. It was thick with tension- definitely both romantic and sexual. Dally’s hands were shaking, sweat was beading on his forehead. He closed the small gap between him and Johnny and kissed him.

 

Neither of them pulled away until they were both gasping for breath. “I was your first kiss.” Dally said after a moment.

 

Johnny nodded silently. Dally didn’t say anything for a while. “You can borrow some of my clothes. You ain’t goin’ home drunk.”

 

“Thanks, Dal.” 

 

Both of them changed clothes, and Dally laid down before looking up at Johnny, who was standing a few feet away, giving him a hopeful look. The blond chuckled before moving over. “You didn’t think I was gonna make you sleep on the floor or somethin’, did you?”

 

He shrugged before climbing into bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.


End file.
